DICE explains reasoning behind Battlefield 4 control changes

Battlefield 4 is out tomorrow on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, and as many players have found out through the beta, developer DICE has made some subtle, yet significant, changes to the game's controls. To explain the mindset behind the modifications, Executive Producer Patrick Bach sat down with GameInformer for an interview.

On the overall changes to controls…

When we looked at controls in Battlefield 4 we placed the team play aspect of our controls as the highest priority. We wanted players to be familiar with using spotting and the communication rose in multiplayer as well as the engage and tactical visor in single player. To accomplish this we needed a button that allowed players quick access while also enabling the player to still perform all the necessary functions of Battlefield, like shooting, aiming, moving, and melee. We also know that players require consistency, especially players who will want to move from a PS3 to a PS4 or a Xbox 360 to a Xbox One. With this in mind, we moved our teamplay functions to a bumper button, which required us to make additional changes, all to highlight one of Battlefield's key strengths. It also enabled the use of the communication rose with a controller.

On vehicle movement changes…

We wanted to have a more intuitive control scheme as the default for Battlefield 4. Since you are moving your character with the analog stick it made sense to have similar controls for vehicles. If you prefer to use the triggers for acceleration and breaking you can change to that layout in the options menu.

On the back button now accessing Battlelog and not the scoreboard…

Battlelog is a key social feature that helps friends play together in Battlefield. Quick access allows players to have the best, smoothest social gaming experience on the go, while they are playing. The score board is still available quickly by holding the Start/Option button.

On why the developer couldn’t include a Battlefield 3 control option…

We recognize that change is hard, and the veteran control schemes are our nod to players who wish to have a Battlefield 3 control style. We continue to see teamplay as a key area for Battlefield, and that meant that we could not purely duplicate the old setup.